Oct 26, 2011

After successfully facilitating ten Educate-Connect-Inspire Youth Forums (in Croatia (Zadar, Zagreb, Pula, Osijek, Varazdin), Slovakia (Bratislava), Poland (Wroclaw), Bosnia & Herzegovina (Sarajevo), Macedonia (FYROM / Skopje) and Montenegro (Bar) ), we thought this would be a perfect time to share some of the great ideas and thoughts young people had and discussed:

"Inspire my mind, and you can have my energy."

"We have to be reasonable and demand the impossible."

- how to construct a city that would provide a better life for the community- how to ensure access to healthier and safer houses, served with complete water, sewage and electric power system(s)- can architects help create better life by creating better cities, sustainable by design- we need to publicize, reward and demonstrate tangible improvements and practices- we need to harness the potential and possibilities, reduce inequalities and disparities and provide a home for people of all cultures and ages, both rich and poor communities in the region

- how can citizens contribute to a better city and a better life- am I aware of the ecoart in my community

- how can we build awareness among community members about environmental protection of their own environment- how can we focus more on institutional arrangements in urban governance- we need to engage the Government in the dialogue

- we need to promote effective and efficient planning in urban areas of the country- communities need to be engaged in the positive reconstruction of urban districts

We need:

better environment

better transportation

better administration

better safety

better culture

better water and sanitation

better development planning

- more of us should be actively engaged in the field of urban planning, mobility, sustainability and energy supply

- urban communities and their governments need to focus on developing strategic steps on how to improve the city, including improving

- there is a need to renovate old areas to protect heritage structures- we need to involve the society, especially youngsters, in improving living conditions in the cities

- there is a need to embark on a path to sustainable development by addressing concerns such as climate change and rapid urbanisation

- we all have a collective responsibility to improve our habitat - the city

- we need to find a way to enable citizens to understand the city better, know where things went wrong, seek accountability

"The source of all life is balance."

- we need to employ environment friendly practices in day to day life, that way we can actually create humane and sustainable cities

- we need to create better buildings and spaces

cities and environment

cities and youth knowledge

cities and heritage

cities and information technology

all of it has to come together

- urban spaces, cities, need to be a home to all cultures - art helps make that happen

- what does a better city, better life mean to me?

- what is the future of public transport?

For over a century cars have influenced almost every facet of the urban landscape, from the ever expanding reaches of the suburban sprawl to the social cohesion of neighborhoods. As the threats of climate change become ever more pressing the visionaries in cities around the worldare increasingly turning to the alternative transportation systems, both new and traditional, to provide sustainable solutions.

Cities are now the dominant human habitat, provoking a grand challenge for our genes, the environment and for society. But what is the point of cities? What do they offer for health, well-being, happiness or environmental sustainability? What can we learn from the history of cities and public health to set us on a path to sustainable urban well-being?

- we need to imagine development - what are urban challenges to development?- we need to work on sustainable growth, greened houses, greener neighborhoods

- we need to recognize the importance of protecting the environment- local governments are faces with responsibility and challenges in the sustainability of urban planning

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ECI Youth Forums are organized and facilitated by Nektarina Non Profit. Forums are open to general public, but they specifically target young people in urban areas.
Forums carried out thus far have been a full day events, and often included local speakers, film screenings and art workshops.

Disclaimer

Nektarina Non Profit is a non governmental, non profit organization, and most of our projects are volunteer projects. Our blog posts are a compilation of data (where we always provide the source(s) at the end of the post, or opinion pieces from one of our volunteers (in which case there is a by-line). We come from different backgrounds, and English is not the first language for any of us, so there might be an occasional language flop :). If you are using any of our content - it would be really great if you can link it back to us, and if you are using other people's content that you found on our website, please make sure to copy the source links we provided. Thanks!